SOUTH BLUMENORT, MB
Ten of thousands of Mennonites across Canada have been lining up outside platz shops today to get their hands on legal platz for the first time in nearly 100 years.
“It’s a great day for all us Mennos,” said Mr. Wiebe. “I just hope they don’t run out of the blueberry strain before I get to the front of the line.”
For nearly a century, Mennonites have been secretly baking platz in their own homes.
“I’ve been growing my own rhubarb for decades,” said Mrs. Klassen. “It’ll be nice to be able to just stop by the neighbourhood store and pick some up.”
The demand was so high that some shops ran out of platz by noon, and critics are hoping this is not a sign of times to come.
“If the legal platz shops can’t keep up with demand, we’ll keep having to rely on Mrs. Friesen,” said Mr. Wiebe. “And no one wants to do that. I mean, the whole point of platz legalization was to put people like Mrs. Friesen out of business.”
In Ontario, platz is only available for purchase online, but the rest of the country has much easier access.
“I love the new law,” said Mr. Wiebe. “I just hope they do the same thing with yerba and zoat.”
(photo credit: Luke McKernan/cc)